Chapter 4

Because I'd worn the thick padded gear, the fall hadn't hurt much. Just a few bruises here and there.

I was changing in the fitting room when Leah pushed aside the curtain and stepped in.

"Hester, you're all right, aren't you?"

I said nothing.

She smiled and raised her left hand. The custom diamond ring caught the light and scattered it.

"See? Tristan really does care more about me."

She lowered her hand and said, offhand,

"Back in your day, you didn't have one of these, did you?"

I still didn't answer.

I pulled the zipper of my jacket up. "Which is why the only ring you get to wear is the one another woman's husband gave you."

Leah's face twisted in an instant, frozen in place. I gave her a flat look, turned, and walked out.

......

The medic finished dressing my wounds. Through the whole thing, Tristan stayed for five minutes.

His face was full of apology.

"Hester, something urgent came up at the company. Leah and I will head back first."

My eyes were calm. I nodded.

At the entryway, thinking I couldn't see, their hands slipped together naturally, without a gap between them.

I tugged at the corner of my mouth.

Was there really something at the company?

Or were the two of them just going off on a date?

Sure enough, half an hour later Tristan called.

"Hester, I've got a work dinner today, I'll be home late. Wait for me and we'll celebrate the birthday together, okay?"

There was a steady rustling on the line, and he seemed to be deliberately holding his breath in check.

I didn't have to think about what the two of them were doing right then.

My chest felt like a fist had closed hard around it, the ache spreading down through my veins.

I could barely breathe. I forced out a few stiff syllables and hung up.

At two in the morning, there was a sound at the door, and Tristan finally came home. The next day, Howie's birthday, he left again first thing in the morning.

Howie wore the little shirt I'd just bought him, sitting on the small stool by the entryway, eyes fixed on the front door without a blink.

"Daddy promised to take me to the aquarium today." He tipped his little face up, his tone certain. "He's definitely getting a surprise ready for me, Mommy. Don't worry."

I looked at his hopeful little face and nodded.

He grabbed my hand and explained, so seriously,

"Daddy's just been really busy lately. There's so much going on at the company. Once he gets through this stretch, he'll come back and spend time with me."

He thought about it, then added,

"Daddy told me I'm the baby he loves most."

Tristan didn't come home all night.

Howie and I didn't sleep all night.

"Mommy, call Daddy." Howie looked up at me and squeezed out a smile. "Maybe he lost track of time."

I dialed Tristan's number.

"It's Howie's birthday today. When are you coming home?"

There was wind and a child's laughter on the other end.

Tristan's voice was light and far away.

"Ah, I'm busy, I forgot to tell you. These couple of days I've taken Leah and Carina out to the aquarium—"

Tristan laughed. "I'll let you go for now, it's noisy over here."

The call cut off in a hurry.

At the same time, Leah posted an update.

Just put up on her feed, only one picture—

【The signature page of a share transfer agreement.】

Tristan's name sat on it, with the caption:

【He prepared this specially, a surprise and something to stand on, and his promise to spend the rest of his life with me.】

He'd given her shares.

I looked at that line, my fingers slowly tightening.

Seven years. At Kaufman Group I'd drawn one person's salary doing three people's work.

From the rules and procedures to the direction the company grew in, from negotiating with partners to building out the supply chain, every joint of it I'd ground out through sleepless nights.

Now he'd handed the project division I built with my own hands to Leah, and held company shares up to her too.

Seven years of nights I'd burned through. She'd paid nothing, and just like that she plucked the fruit.

"Mommy."

"Daddy lied to me, didn't he?"

My son couldn't hold it in and cried.

He held the tablet up to me.

Carina's new post. A photo of the three of them, glaring bright.

【Thank you, Daddy, for spending my birthday with me. Best day ever!】

Howie stared at that photo for a long time, and for the first time cried until he couldn't get a word out.

"Mommy."

He clutched the hem of my shirt.

"I don't want to live here anymore. Daddy's become someone else's. Let's go, okay?"

I nodded through tears, wiped his little face, packed up all our things, left the divorce agreement behind, and walked out holding Howie's hand.

......

Three days later.

Tristan came back from a getaway with Leah and her daughter, driving into the complex.

Leah said she wanted to go home and shower first, so he turned alone onto the road toward home.

The lock turned open.

No lights on in the living room.

He called my name once. No one answered.

"Where'd the two of them run off to this time?"

He couldn't help muttering it. Then he bent to change his shoes and called me.

"Honey?"

"Where'd you take Howie? Why didn't you say a word to me?"